Process for laying wooden floors and the like on a concrete base



May 39, R925. 11,538,743

c. w. PRICKETT PROCESS FOR LAYING WOODEN FLOORS AND THE LIKE. ON A CONCRETE BASE Filed Feb. 27. 1922 Patented May'19,-1925.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE W. PBICKETT, OF WINTERSE'I', IOWA.

PROCESS FOR WOODEN FLOORS AND THE LIKE ON A CONCRETE BASE.-

jApplioation filed rebruar ev, 1922. Serial 30339301.

To all whom it our concern.

Be it'known that I, CLYDE W. PRIoKE'rT', a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVinterset, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Process. for Laying Wooden Floors and the like on a Concrete Base, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a process for laying wooden floors and the like on a concrete base at'a minimum of expense with a minimum number and difficulty .of operations and vwith a minimum use of material.

A further object is to provide such a process, which will permitthe free use of the concrete floor or 'base, after the base has been vformed, and yet will enable the builder.

to readily and easily lay the wooden floor, after the other structure has been'completed.

More particularly it is my object to pro: vide a rocess of the'kind under consideration, w erein a concrete base is laid, having anchored to it such means for holding stringers or sleepers, which means are so arranged and so constructed that' while] properly connected with the concrete base, they will be out of the way duringthe period after the base-has been poured, until the time arrives "for "building or placing the floor above the base. Y

Further objects will appear in connection with the further description and explana tion otmy process. f

In order tp more fully explain and illusg trate my process, I have shown herewith'eer tain drawings, illustratin means, whereby my rocess may be earned out, and the building structure during such steps and stages of the process.

In the accompanying drawings,

igure 1 shows a perspective view, part1 -in section of a concrete base as laid wit certa n floor chps installed therein, the vlew being also adapted-to illustrate the method of installing the floor clips.

. Figure 2 shows a similar view with the engaging members of the'floor clips,'which are designed to be fastened to the stringers, in their upri t position. p Figure 3s owsa perspective view of the same space with the "Ifloor partly laid; and Figure 4*showsa perspective view of one of the floor clipsiill condition to'be Placed in the concrete-base. a

Prior to the time when my .fioor clip covered, by my patent hereinbefore mentioned, went on the market, the ordinary way of laying a wooden flooron a concrete base, was as I will now describe.

A concrete base or slab was poured. stringers having beveled edges were laid on the concrete at the proper elevation to reafter it had had an these stringers stringers for supporting the wooden floor -slow, clumsy and very ex-- was complicated, pensive.

Also it involved the laying of very heavy concrete bases.

The method, which I have herein described, so far as I know, is novel. Prior to the {use of my. clips, clips of a somewhat general nature, have been .-used for deadening sound. These clips to which I refer,

usually had felt or other sound deadening.

.strigs'attached to them, but they were not use as I use my clip in my process.

In my process, a layer of concrete base indicated in .the accompanying drawings, e

the referencenumeral 10,

is first pour Before this concrete base has hardened too much,. I anchor 'in it, the rows of clips, to which the sleepers for supportingthe floor are subsequently secured.

The clips may be of different kinds, but I preferably use those, such as are-illustrated "1n Figurell. "The clip, thus illustrated, com

prises a central, horizontal ing at its ends opposite, jecting portions 12. The material, imade from a single strip, is arranged with upwardl-y -.projecting portions extending from the lower ends of the'portions 12, and indicated hythe numeral are desi ed to be long enough to project substantially above thehorizontal member 11 member 11, hav- The upwardly projecting members 13 should have somemeans, such for instance, as the holes 14, to receive and hold nails, driven into the stringers orv sleepers. The clips are so anchored in the concrete downwardl .pro-' 13. The portions 13 7 base 10 that. a row of them will be arranged toreceive a sleeper or stringer between the upwardly extending members 13 of the respective clips.

The clips may be made-of one piece each. They may .be formed of strips, as shown herein, or may be made of twisted wire or of single pieces of wire. They maybe made in single pieces or in more than one part.

It is, however, important that they should be made of such material, that the upwardly projecting part of the portions 13 may be bent downwardly, to horizontal position, so as to be fiat abovethe concrete base 10. It is not so' important that the portions of the members 13 above the horizontal member 11 beextended upwardly vertically or that they lie flat at thetime of the placing of the clips in the concrete, but it is important thatafterwards during the use ofthe floor for other construction work. the upper portions of the clip, should lie fiat on the concrete. It is obvious that the portions ofthe member 13 can be bent over each other, as

shown in Figure 4:, or. could be bent away from each other, and the same advantageous results obtained.

It is important that after the concrete base is laid, the clips-should be placed there- I done.

It is obvious that the clips must be inserted when the concrete base is soft, and 'it' is extremely desirable that the floor be capableof use, without having projecting devices that would trip the workmen or that would be likely-to be mjured during the use of the concrete base as a floor.

The importance of a clip therefor, which can be laid fiat, so that it will not do any harm to the workmen, and will not interfere with. the ordinary use of the concrete base as a floor, and yet can be straightened up'for holding the stringers or sleepers, when the proper time comes,

the clips in the concrete base.

boards 16 so as to indicate. the

dicate the place for anchoring the strips, Evhen .th boards are laid on the concrete ase.

. The strips 17 project far'enough. from the twen'successive rows of the clips.

will be obvious. Various methods may be used for placing distance be-- After the concrete base has been laid, the clips installed and left flat out, and the intermediate construction has been completed, then the wooden floor is laid.

In preparing for laying the wooden floor,

the flat portions of'the members 13 are raised, so that they stand upright, as shown forinstance in Figure 3.

A stringer 15 is laid in each row of clips. Nails may be driven through the holes 14 into the stringers 15. The stringers will thus be firmly held in position, and there is no need to embed them in concrete.

I therefore am able to save or avoid the pouring of the second layer of concrete, which has commonly been employed heretofore.

This not only saves materials and labor in the floor itself, but greatly reduces the weight of the concrete floor and reduces the strength necessary in the retaining and supporting wall. I

'After the stringers 15 have been placed in position, the flooring 19 may be laid in the usual way. v

It is, of course, understood that sometimes two layers of flooring are placed on the stringers 18.

If desired, the stringers may be embedded in concrete, but this is usually neither desirable nor necessary. In summary,.I can scarcely over emphasize the importance of the feature of placing in the slab of concrete the clips having the portions above the concrete, which are folded -over to lie flat, to permit the free use of the slab as a floor during further construction. work without interfering with shoveling, hauling and otherwise.

The laying of the wood finish floor is usually one, of the lastoperations and is easily done, when the clips are straightened up and the sleepers secured thereto.

Where my method is employed, I entirely obviate the necessity of using the second layer of concrete, and eflect a tremendous saving in time, expense, labor and weight of material. My floors do not creek and become loose, as is the case where the wooden blocks are used, under one of the present systems mentioned above.

I claim as my invention:

1. The processof constructing a wooden floor on a. concrete base comprising the forming of a soft plastic base, inserting in alined rowstherein from above by vertical moyement spaced stifi legs provi'dedwith a connecting pieceabove the base bottom and horizontal members, then utilizing thejnase when'hardened for further building operaing sleepers therebetween and securing wood flooring to the sleepers. Y

2. A process comprising the forming of a plastic base, inserting therein from above with a vertical movement stifl legs of preformed clips having sleeper engagingpon tions lying fiat above the base and provided with a connecting piece, then using the base as a floor during further building operations. then bending portions of the clip to upright position, securing sleepers thereto and securing a wooden floor to the sleepers.

3. A floor construction building process comprising the formingof a concrete floor slab base then inserting spaced stiff legs of clips provided with connected portions in the floor slab from above with a vertical downward movement while the slab is yet in a plastic condition, permitting the slab with the clips therein to harden, then using the'floor slab during further building opera tions without interference from the clips therein, moving parts of the clips to position for receiving a sleeper thereagainst, then placing sleepers adjacent to said last parts, securing said partsto the sleeper for anchoring the sleeper to the floor slab, and securinga wooden floorto the sleepers.

t. A floor construction building process comprising the forming of a concrete floor slab base, then inserting spaced stifi' legs of clips having connected portions in the floor slab from above with a vertical downward movement while the slab is yet in a plastic condition, permitting the slab with the clips therein to harden, then using the floor slab during further building operations without interference from the clips therein, then moving parts of the clips away from the floor slab so that they project thereabove in substantially vertical position. then placing sleepers betweensaid parts with their sides resting against said parts, securing said parts. to the sleeper whereby the clips are the sole means of anchoring the sleepers to the concrete slab and thereafter securing a Wooden, floor to the sleepers.

5. The process of constructing a, wooden floor on a concrete base comprising the forming of a soft plastic base, inserting therein in aligned rows, from above with a vertical movement, legs of preformed clips having connecting means above-the lower ends of the legs, arranging sleeper engaging portions of the clip flat above the base,

curing using the base after it has hardened, as a floor for furtherbuilding operations, rais ing the said portions to upright position and securing sleepers between them and sewood flooring to the sleepers.

6. A process comprising the forming of a plastic base, inserting therein from above with, a vertical movement stifi' legs of preformed clips having sleeper engaging portions lying fiat above the base andprovided with a connecting pieceabove the lower ends of the legs. then using the base as a floor during further building operations, then bending portions of the clip to upright position, securing sleepers thereto and securing a wooden floor to the sleepers;

1. process for constructing a wooden floor on a concrete base, comprising the forming of a plastic base, inserting therein while the base is soft, from above with a vertical movement stifl legs of preformed clips, each having a sleeper engaging portion adapted to lie flat above the base and provided with connecting means above the lower ends of the legs, then using the base as a floor during further building operations, then raising the sleeper engaging portion of the clips to upright position, secur ing sleepers thereto, and securing a wooden floor to the sleepers. i I 8. The process of constructing a wooden floor on a concrete base comprising the torming of a soft plastic base. inserting therein in aligned rows, legs of preformed clips having connecting means above the lower ends of the legs, arranging sleeper engaging portions of the clip fiat above the base, using the base after it has hardened, as a floor for further building operations, raising the said portions to upright position and securing sleepers between them andsecuring Wood flooring to the sleepers;

9. A process comprising the forming of a plastic base, inserting therein from above,

stiff legs of preformed clips having sleeper engaging portions lying fiat above the base and provided with a connecting piece, above the lower ends of the legs, thenusing' as a floor during further building operations,

then bending portions of the clip to upright position. securing sleepers thereto and securing a wooden floor to the sleepers.

Des'Moines, lowa, February 21, 1922.

- CLYDE W. PRIOKETT. 

